The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls highlighted the underlying systemic causes of ongoing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The COVID-19 pandemic also created unprecedented challenges for victims and survivors seeking help and the frontline organizations that support them.
Today, Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced up to $402,157 for the Yukon Aboriginal Women's Council.
This funding will allow the Yukon Aboriginal Women's Council to increase its ability to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV) against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, with a focus on 2SLGBTQQIA+ Indigenous people in the Yukon and northern British Columbia.
Increasing the capacity of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations will enable organizations to address the root causes of GBV and ensure that Indigenous women and their communities can prosper now, and in the future.
This announcement builds on the endorsement of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women in November 2022. The National Action Plan includes five pillars: Support for victims, survivors and their families; Prevention; Responsive justice system; Implementing Indigenous-led approaches; and Social infrastructure and enabling environment.
